Retreat Leaders

11 January 2017

David is an honorary assistant bishop and interfaith adviser in the Diocese of Norwich. Before retirement he was Bishop of Bolton in Greater Manchester. On retirement he and his wife Val moved to South Norfolk where they had five more wonderful years together before Val died in April 2013 after 14 years living with leukaemia. David was the first Chair of the Christian Muslim Forum; he is also a Trustee of the Advisory Board of the Council of Christians and Jews. Before becoming a bishop in 1999 David was Principal of Trinity College, Bristol for 11 years. Prior to ordination, he worked at a reconciliation centre in Northern Ireland. Over the years he has mainly taught in the areas of : Spirituality, Interfaith, Management & Leadership, and Old Testament studies. David’s journey has led him to become a campaigner for full equality of LGBT people and their relationships within the church.

The Rev. Iain Gow

Iain left South Africa when he was sixteen to go to school in Switzerland and then to university in the United States for six years where he did his MBA. Joining an international company, he worked for them in France Belgium and the UK.

After finishing his MA focusing on Christian ethics and pastoral care, Iain was ordained at Coventry Cathedral, having become a follower of Christ in his late twenties at Holy Trinity Brompton, London. He served as priest at St Martin in the Bullring, Birmingham for eight years and then he and his wife Linda, who is a Kiwi and a Clinical Psychologist/Family Therapist, came to New Zealand in 2005. They live with two hounds and their two boys Sam and Matt who are now young men! Places that have influenced Iain recently are his working as a Chaplain at Hibiscus Hospice, and most recently, he and his wife lived in a monastic community for the last four years, which was a refuge for stranger and friend.

Iain has trained as a spiritual director with Spiritual Growth Ministries and has a deep appreciation of the story of grace for each person he meets.

Jenny Johnson

Jenny has a Diploma in Counselling, is a certified Poetry and Journal Facilitator and a SoulCollage® Facilitator. She enjoys offering creative and contemplative retreat days for self discovery and spiritual enrichment

The Rev. Josh Jones

Born and raised in Birmingham UK, Josh Jones was a professional musician writing and playing music in a rock band for 20 years, being a ‘one hit wonder’ in the BBC charts. 18 years ago, God intervened and took him on a rather surprising journey of discovery in Christ to an Alpha course at St Martin’s church in Birmingham city centre. 10 years of exhilarating, deeply enriching times as Director of Creative Worship and then out of nowhere in 2009, a call to explore a new adventure in Aotearoa New Zealand at St George’s Anglican church Epsom.

Ordained in 2011 at Auckland Cathedral and now Co- Vicar at St George’s Josh is passionate to re-imagine and find fresh dimensions, exploring how God moves in mysterious ways through the music of the Beatles, Dylan, Cohen, Taize, Wesley, Hillsong and many others.

How do we stir the ‘Art’s Worship’ palette and paint new and innovative expressions to reach those who seek new pathways to nurture and nourish their faith journey. Josh also likes going to the movies but hasn’t yet been with Mark.

Professor Peter Lineham

Peter Lineham was raised in the “Reading” Brethren, and joined the Open Brethren while a university student at the University of Canterbury. He was part of St Luke’s Old Shoreham Road in Brighton and at Southover Church in Lewes while a doctoral student at the University of Sussex in the late 1970s and became a member of All Saints Church in Ponsonby as well as Ponsonby Baptist Church after having been asked to leave the Open Brethren when he became partner of Jianye Han in 2006. He has been very involved in Auckland Rainbow Community Church since 2000. The Synod representative and secretary of the Vestry of All Saints, he is also a Bishop’s Ministry Advisor.

The Rev. Dr. Hilary Oxford Smith

The Rev. Dr. Hilary Oxford Smith is a writer, poet, minister and scholar.

She has worked in the United Kingdom in various parishes and chaplaincy appointments including as Associate Minister at St. Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh. She was also Development Officer at New College, the School of Divinity, The University of Edinburgh.

She has divided her time between Scotland and New Zealand and for the past few years has enjoyed a creative relationship with Vaughan Park as Curator and Editor of Moments, the writing and poetry page on the Vaughan Park website. She also is the social media editor for the Centre.

She has recently returned to New Zealand to live and work and has been appointed Priest—Exploring Spirituality at Vaughan Park.

Hilary has lived and worked on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland and is an Associate Member of The Iona Community. Her particular interest is in the field of Celtic spirituality and she gives retreats, workshops and teaches on this subject. Her website is ...www.spiritofbradan.com.

Mark Pierson

Mark Pierson is passionate about curating worship events that enable people to engage with God in creative, life-giving, transformative and formative ways. He also likes drone music. Author of “The Art of Curating Worship: reshaping the role of worship leader”, he encourages people to understand worship as an art form and to develop a new language for thinking about the design and delivery of worship events. Mark curates sacred spaces at festivals and conferences as well as weekly worship with the Rhythms of Grace community in Newmarket Auckland, where he also goes to a lot of movies.

The Rev. Dr. Rebecca Prichard

Rebecca Button Prichard is a native Californian who has lived in Australia, Scotland, and Indiana. In 1988 she was ordained to serve as an Assistant Minister in St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. Over the years she has been both pastor and professor, teaching theology, church history, worship, and spirituality. Her travels and sojourns in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and England have nurtured her deep interest in Celtic spirituality and art. A calligrapher, she has a special attraction to the Celtic gospel books and draws from their artistry in her teaching and spiritual practice. An Associate Member of the Iona Community, Rebecca (aka "Becky) lives in Southern California with her two cats, Miss Molly and Pearl Girl. A life-long Presbyterian, she is now at home in the Episcopal Church.